Recession hits cricket ! Pay cut for Pak players

Lahore: After being denied of Test cricket so far this year, Pakistan cricketers were in another shock with the PCB deciding to slash the monthly payments of elite players as per the central contracts system, which is to be revised after December 31.

According to sources, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), is planning to cut down on increasing costs and intends to curtail the salaries of elite cricketers as well as national selectors.

The Board had awarded the current central contracts to 15 elite cricketers earlier this year for a six-month period, when Nasim Ashraf was at the helm. The PCB had announced at that time that new 12-month central contracts will be given to the players from January 1 next year.

Veteran batsman Mohammad Yousuf and pacer Mohammad Asif were later dropped from the list. Yousuf was axed after he joined the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) while Asif's name was erased from the Board's payrolls after he tested positive for banned anabolic steroid nandrolone while featuring in the Indian Premier League (ICL) in May.